


Invitations

by IreneSpring



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barisi Valentine's Cliché Challenge, Bonding, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, prompt 7, squad cameo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29225724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneSpring/pseuds/IreneSpring
Summary: When the squad goes out to a bar to lament having no one to spend Valentine's Day with, Sonny invites Barba.Prompt: "You're invited to a Friend-Valentine's Day."
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 43
Collections: Barisi Valentine’s Cliché Challenge





	Invitations

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fandom challenge, I've been writing fic for awhile but I usually just lurk around communities and post whatever comes to mind. Not anymore, it's organization time.
> 
> I told myself I'd take some time off from writing/publishing after finishing "Scenes from Forlini's" but yeah, that didn't happen. I'm going to be doing all ten prompts. I don't have an exact schedule for when I will be publishing each prompt, but I will be going in chronological order. 
> 
> All of my fics for this challenge also function as companion pieces for "Scenes from Forlini's." Obviously, I would love if you read that, but it's not necessary to understand what's going on. With the possible exception of one short scene from prompt 3. 
> 
> Here's the first one, I hope you enjoy!

Sonny has been single since he left Staten Island. Usually it doesn’t bother him. Honestly, unless he  _ really _ likes someone, he prefers being single. It saves him from having to either lie or come out. Sonny is a people person, but he’s always able to fulfill his social need with his friends. 

The one day he gets bummed out is Valentine’s Day. He can’t help but wallow when every single sign in every single store has hearts and cupids and chocolates everywhere. Sonny is a romantic. Every time his eyes fall on a particularly sweet display, he wishes he had someone to share it with. Thankfully, work offers him plenty of distractions. It’s hard to wish you had a boyfriend when you’re surrounded by reminders of the dark sides of relationships. He plans to get to work early on the actual day of Valentine’s Day, so as to minimize his wallowing time. Also because he hopes he’ll get brownie points with his fellow detectives. He’ll do pretty much anything to stop them from rolling their eyes every time he talks. 

Work goes as expected, and Sonny is happy because he barely remembers that it’s Valentine’s Day. He also manages to impress Rollins. She even nods at him when he’s talking. In an agreement way, not in a dismissive day. All in all, this is shaping up to be one of the best Valentine’s Days he’s ever had. Just as long as he can try to ignore how sad that sounds. At the end of the day, Rollins taps him on the shoulder.

“Hey Carisi, everyone was planning on heading to a bar to lament our singledom, if you want to join.”  _ Join _ . He’s being  _ invited  _ to something. With the squad. 

“Yeah that’d be great,” he says, attempting nonchalance. Rollins raises an eyebrow, so he probably didn’t succeed. But she doesn’t rescind the invitation, so Sonny still counts the interaction as a win. 

He bizarrely wonders if he needs to change into something nicer.  _ It’s just drinks after work _ . Still, he’s nervous. This feels like an audition. Or a first date.

That nervousness is not helped by the sudden appearance of Rafael Barba. Barba, who always looks excellent, and never gives Sonny the time of day. That just makes Sonny work harder for his attention. Sonny likes Barba. Sonny thinks Barba likes him, at least in a friendly way. Barba is sarcastic but not mean, and Sonny appreciates that. 

“Hey, Barba!” he calls out, and Barba turns, his head slightly tilted to one side in confusion.

“Carisi, do you have work?”

“No.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Well, I was just about to head out. Some of us detectives are having drinks.”

“Have fun, Detective.” Sonny nods before an idea comes to him.

“You want to get a drink?” Barba’s eyes widen and Sonny immediately realizes the potential miscommunication. “With the rest of us, I mean. You know, as a way to ignore Valentine’s Day. You’re invited to a Friend-Valentine’s Day,” Sonny clarifies. Barba nods quickly.

“I’m having difficulty coming up with a good excuse.” Sonny laughs, and resists the urge to put an arm around Barba as they leave the office together. When they reach the bar, Sonny immediately spots the table with Amaro, Rollins, and Fin. He waves. Nick rolls his eyes but Sonny doesn’t care. He’s going to hang out with the squad and with  _ Barba _ . 

“Hey Barba, what are you doing here?” Rollins asks. Sonny feels nervous for a moment. He was only just barely invited, maybe he shouldn’t have invited anyone else. He looks at Barba, who seems unworried.

“Carisi invited me.” 

“Uh huh, so I ask again, what are you doing here?” Rollins is smirking and Fin is looking between Sonny and Barba with an amused half-smile on his face. 

“I wanted a drink.”

“Since when are we good company, Counselor?” Fin asks.

“Since I lowered my standards, Detective,” Barba snaps. 

“You mean since Carisi got here,” Nick adds. Sonny’s eyes shoot to Barba, and he thinks he sees worry in his eyes for a moment. Embarrassment too.  _ Probably embarrassment that anyone could think he likes you,  _ Sonny supplies himself. That’s what he’s going with. 

“If you don’t want me here, I can leave,” Barba says stonily. 

“No, it’s alright,” Rollins says. “The more the merrier.” Barba gives her one last suspicious glance, but sits down. Sonny sits next to him.

Barba is a sad drunk. Sonny doesn’t mind, he’s just glad that Barba is opening up a little, no matter how that happens.

“Are you ever lonely, Carisi?” Barba asks. Sonny blinks at him. It’s not technically Barba giving information about himself, but he’ll take it.

“Sometimes, Barba. I mean, isn’t everybody lonely sometimes?” Barba seems to consider that for a moment and nods.

“Do you ever get the feeling that no one wants you around?” These questions seem increasingly rhetorical, but Sonny absolutely has that feeling. All the time. For pretty much his entire life.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.” Sonny wasn’t expecting that. Before he can object, Barba continues. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I know how that hurts. I don’t hate you, Carisi. I do want you around.”

“You’re really drunk, Barba,” Sonny says with a laugh, attempting to lighten the mood. Barba looks worried when he turns to face Sonny. His eyes are wide, and very green, and he looks sad.

“No,” Barba asserts. “I mean yes, but I’m not lying. I am sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Barba.”

“But-”

“You never made me feel unwanted. I could see through you. I’m not as stupid as everyone thinks I am.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid, Carisi.”

“Thanks, Barba. I don’t think you’re stupid either.” Sonny expects a comeback. Something about how no one could ever think Barba was stupid. Instead, Barba seems to simply absorb the information.

“Thank you.” Barba leans over slightly and his shoulder is touching Sonny’s. For a moment it looks like he’s going to fall forward, so Sonny puts an arm around him to stabilize him. Barba doesn’t seem to mind, he just stays in place.

It’s nothing, it’s really nothing. Nothing romantic will happen tonight, Sonny knows. But maybe it’s friendship. Maybe it’s a step towards something happening in the future. Either way, it’s the best Valentine’s Day he's had in a while.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I think that went okay! It's a little short, but there are ten of these prompts.
> 
> I'm also doing this challenge for Cabenson (because I couldn't find a Cabenson challenge and I like these prompts), so if that's also one of your ships, the prompt 7 piece should also be up.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
